Steam-engine



(No Model.) 4 sheets-Sheet 1.

A. L. IDE. STEAM ENGNE..I

No. 441,364. Patented N0v. ,25, 1890.

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4Sheets-Sheet 2. A. L. IDE. STEAM ENGINE.

n Patented Nov. 25, y1890.-

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(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 3,

A. L. IDE.- STEAM ENGINE.

No. 441,364. Patented Nov. 25. 1890.

' (No'Model.) l 4snets-sh-een4.

A. L. IDE.

STEAM ENGINE. 4

inf., a

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

' UNITED STATES APATENT EE1CE.

AL ERT L. IDE, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

STEAMFENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,364, dated November25, 1.890. Application filed June l0, 1890. Serial No. 354,927. (Nomodel- Be it known that I, ALBERT L. IDE, of

. Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines; and Idohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference, marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specilication.

This invention relates to steam-engines,

- and more particularly to the class of steamengines known as compoundengines.

The invention consists in the mat-ters hereinafter described, andpointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is aperspective view of a compound engine embodying the same.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the rs'ame, taken on ahorizontal plane through the engine cylinders and valves on the lines 22 of Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through thelow-pressure cylinder, taken upon line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4is atransverse section through the high-pressure cylinder, taken upon line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the valvesillustrated in Fig. 2, taken upon the lines 5 5 of said Figs. 2, 3, and4. Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation of the slide-valve belonging to thelow-pressure cylinder. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail section of thevalves shown in Figs. 2 to 5, showing said valves in a changed positionfrom that shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a similar section illustratingstill another position of the valves. Fig. 9 illustrates valvesembodying the invention, differing somewhat from that shown in the otherfigures.

As illustrated in said drawings, A indicates the engine-frame; B, thelow-pressure cylinder, which is directly connected with the end of theframe; C,thc high-pressure cylinder,

which is secured to the end ofthe low-press-` ure cylinder remote fromthe engine-frame.

D is the steam-chest of the low-pressure cylinder B; E, the steam-chestof the high` pressure cylinder C; F, the steam-supply pipe which isconnected withA the steamchest E of thc highfpressure cylinder; G, theexhaustpipe which connnunicateswith the exhaustspace of the low-pressurecylinder B.

H indicates a valve-stem by which the slidevalves of the engine are'actuated, said valvestem being actuated by a connecting-rod H', operatedby an eccentric on the main shaft I of the engine in the usual manner.

.I indicates, as a Whole, the slide-valve of the low-pressure cylinder,and K the slidevalve belonging to the high-pressure cylinder. Thesteam-chest D of the low-pressure cylinder is provided with a valve-seatL, having at its opposite ends two ports Z Z', leading to the oppositeends of the cylinder, and with a central port Z2, which communicateswith the exhaust-pipe Gr. The steam-chest E of the high-pressurecylinder is provided with a valve-seat M, having at its opposite endssteam-ports m fm', communicating wit-h the opposite ends of the saidcylinder, and a central steam-port m2 in communication with thesteam-supply pipe F.

N is the piston of the low-pressure cylinder, and O is the piston of thehigh-pressure cylinder, said pistons being attached to a singlepiston-rod P in the usual manner. The portion P of said piston-rodbetween the pistons N and O passes through a suitable sleeve or bushingsecured in the head C of the highpressure cylinder, which head Cconstitutes also the adjacent orouter head of the lowpressure cylinderB.

The slide-valve J belonging to the lowpressure cylinder is constructedas follows: Said valve is generally of fiat or gridiron form, Figs. 5and 6, and consists of two parallel side pieces j j, two endcross-barsjjz, and two intermediate cross-bars jjt. As a detail ofconstruction in the particular valve shown, the latter is provided witha central tubular part J through which passes the valve-stem H, saidtubular part affording a brace to connect the cross-bars of the valve,and thereby give strength and rigidity to the saine.

The valve J, made as above described, is located in contact with thevalveseat L and operates in connection therewith, and also with astationary valve-plate R,Which is sustained within the steam-chestopposite the valve-seat L, and is provided with a dat bear- ICO 'valve-plate R to hold the latter position.

ing-surface R which is in contact with the outer side of the valve J.Said Valve-plate R is conveniently held in position by means ofinwardly-projecting ila-nges r fr, which rest at their edges in contactwith the valve-seat L at opposite sides or edges of the valve J, Fig. 3,the said valve-plate R being arranged to bear at its side edges againstthe side walls of the steam-chest, whereby the said valveplate is heldfrom shifting sidewise, as clearly shown in the drawings. A pin or studfr', Fig. 3, is inserted in the valve-seat L, and enters a recess in theflanger of the valve-plate to hold the latter from shifting endwise orlongitudinally.

R2 is a spring interposed between the outer wall or cover of thesteam-chest and the said in operative Said spring R2 does not actagainst steam-pressure in holding the valve -plate against the seat L,inasmuch as the steampressure comes outside of the said valve-plate andtends to press the same against the valveseat, and said spring enablesthe valve-plate to-yield outwardly to relieve the parts from strain incase of an accumulation of water in the cylinder, thereby avoidingdanger of breakage of the parts by the compression of f the water ineither end of the cylinder at such time. The valve-plate R is madeshorter than the length of the steam-chest, and the end or outercross-bars j t7'2 ofl the valve J are arranged at such distance apartand the valve is movedl through such distance that said cross-bars arecarried alternately past the ends of the'valve-plate or outwardly frombeneath the same, so as to admit steam from the steam-chest between theends of the valveplate and the valv-e-seat to the steam-ports l Z.

The inner cross-bars .72,72* of the valve are arranged at such distanceapart that they are moved alternately away from the surface of thevalve-seat to a point opposite the exhaust-port Z2, thereby leaving openthe space between the valve-seat and valve-plate for the passage ofsteam from one of the steam-ports ZZV to the said exhaust-port. In orderthat the steam may enter at bo'th sides or edges of v the end cross-barsof the valve when the latter are movedl outwardly past the end of thevalve-plate, as above described, the valve-seat L is madeof the samelengthas thevalve-plate, so that spaces are left between the ends of thesaid valve-seat and the ends ofthe steam-chest,

landthe parts of the wall of the steam-chest adjacent to the ends ofthevalve-seat are recessed; or, in other words, the valve-seat iselevated above the adjacent parts of the inner wall of the steam-chest.Thisconstruction enables the steam to pass around the said endcross-bars of the valves, so as to enter the space between thevalve-seat and valve-plate at both l sides of the said cross-bars,thereby affording asteam-passage of twice the area, with the samemovement of the valve, as is afforded in case the steaml enters at oneside only of said cross-bal'. For a similar purpose the valvei walls ofthe steam-chest.

plate R is provided with a central recess r2 of the same length andwidth as the exhaust-port Z2 and arranged opposite the latter. Saidrecess allows the exhaust-steam to pass around both sides of the innercross-bars 33j* in its passage from the ports Z l to the exhaustport Z2,thereby affording a large area for the exit of steam with a smallmovement of the valve. Said valve-plate R is herein shown as provided onits inner or bearing surface near its ends with twotransversely-arranged recesses r2 r4, made of the same length and widthas the steam-ports Z Z and located opposite the latter. By the presenceof said recesses in the bearing-surface of the valveplate the latter ismade to correspond exactly with the bearing-surface of the valve-seat,thus insuring an equal steam-pressure on opposite sides of the valve andthe perfect balancing of the latter. As a separate andl furtherimprovement, the'said valve-plate R is provided with a steam space orpassage R3, extending longitudinally through the body of the plate andopening at its ends through the inner or bearing surface of the platenear the ends of the latter. The said passage 'Riis designed to affordan additional area of passage for the inflow of steam to thecylinderports, and for this purpose its ends are so located withreference to the ends of the valveplate that when the cross-bar at oneend of the valve begins to leave the edge of said plate the cross-bar atthe opposite endv of the valve will begin to pass from over the end ofsaid passage, thereby admitting steam through said passage to thesteam-port l or Z at the same -time that steam is admitted' to thesteam-port at the edges of thc outwardlymoving cross-bar of the valve.

The operation of the valve will be pointed out more in detailhereinafter in explaining the operation of both of the valves J and K inoperating together. Y

To next describe the construction of the valve K and the valve-seat M,in which the same is located, said parts are made as follows: Said valveK is a tubular or hollow piston-valve, and the valve-seat M is ofcylindric form and provided with annular ports, said valve and seatbeing constructed in the same manner as the corresponding parts shown ina prior patent, No. 360,594, granted to me April 5, 1887. The valve-seatM is, as shown in the drawings,'provided with two annular steam-ports'rn3 m4, connected with each other and with the main steam-portsm m bymeans of longitudinal passages formed in the As herein shown, cylindricbushings M M form the bearingsurfaces of the valve-seats andare providedwith a series of annularly-arranged slots'or openings, forming theannular ports m3 m4 above referred to. The valve K is provided at itsends with enlarged parts or portions M2 M2, which enlarged parts aretted to slide in the opposite ends of the cylindric valve-seat M. Thesaid "enlarged portions M2 M2 are lOO Y that shown in Fig. 2.

This figure shows the exhaust-ports as already partially opened to allowthe passage of exhaust-steam from the outer ends of the high and lowpressure cylinders. At this time the opening of the eX- haust-port m3 ofthe high-pressure cylinder is accomplished by the passage of the end ofthe valve K from over said port, while the opening of the exhaust of thelow-pressure cylinder is produced by the movement of the intermediatebar 7'3 of the valve J from contact with the valve-seat L and thebearingsurface R in that part of the same between the steam-port l andthe exhaust-port Z2, thereby allowing the exhaust-steam to pass aroundboth sides of the cross-bar js to the exhaustport. Admission of vsteamto both the high and low pressure. cylinders will begin as soon as thecross-bar '7'2 passes from between the valve-seat and valve-plate, andas soon as the annular ports m3 m4 at the inner end of the high-pressurecylinder are uncovered by the annular surfaces M3 M4 of the valve K, theparts'being so arranged that all of the several ports are opened andclosed simultaneously, as will be clearly understood from the drawings.

The passage R3 in the valve-plateR affordsY an additional or increasedarea for the passage of live steam to the low-pressure cylinder duringtheopening of the steam-ports, the ports or openings at the ends of saidpassage being so arranged that one of the end crossbars, as j,willbeginto uncover the said passage atone end of the valve at the same time thecross-bar jg at the opposite end of the valve begins to leave the edgesof the valve-seat and the valve-plate. This will be clearly seen fromFig. 8, from which it will be obvious that a slight further movement ofthe valve J toward the right hand will bring the cross- Y bar j past theedge of the opening of the passage R3 at the same time that the innermargins of the cross-bar f pass bey'ond the edges vof the valve-plateand valve-seat. It will of course be seen that one end of the passage R3is always in communication with the steam-port into which live steam isabout to be admitted when the other end of said passage is being openedfor the admission of steam from the steam-chest.

It will of course be understood that alarger steam-inlet opening isrequired for the lowpressure than for the high-pressure cylinder, and ina valve provided with the passage R3 a sufficient area for the admissionof steam will be provided by said passage in connection with the valveproper*as, for instance, assuming that the area required for theadmission of steam to tle low-pressure cylinder is twice as great aslhat required for the highpressure cylinder, then the area for the inletof steam afforded by the openings at either side of the cross-bar j orj?, combined with the area of steam-inlet opening adorded by the saidpassage R3, will be twice as great as. the area of the two annular portsm3 m4. SaidY with the side faces ot' the valve J.

throughout the full length of its throw, or

nearly so, the steam-inlet space alforded between each cross-bar j andl7'? and the adjacent ends of the valve-plate and valve-seat Will be aslarge or larger than required to admit all of the steam that can passthrough Y the steam-ports.

It will of course be understood that desired area for the admission ofsteam to the lowpressure cylinder may be provided Without employing thepassage R3 by making the valve J of sufficient Width for the purpose;but for compactness of construction and to avoid the objectionablefeatures which would be connected with a very broad valve said passageR01 is employed.

The valve J (shown in the accompanying drawings) is arranged vertically,.the steamchest being placed at one side of the cylinder, so that theweight of the said valve J comes entirely upon the lower edgethereof. Asa further and separate improvement applicable to valves of this generalcharacter, I place between the lower edge of the same and thesupporting-surface of the steam-chest adjacent to it one or moreanti-friction rollers, which sustain the Weight of the valve, andthereby avoid the frictional resistance which would result from thesliding contact of the lower edge of the valve with the surface by whichthe same is sustained. As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, twoanti-friction rollers S S are employed, said rollers being located 4.innotches or recesses s s, forlned in the lower flange r of thevalve-plate R, so that the rollers rest upon the bottom wall of thesteamchest. In this construction, of course, the rollers are of the samediameter as .the thickness of the said flange r. Therollers SSillustrated are of cylindric form and are .made of such length thattheir flat end faces come flush This particular construction is not,however, essential, and the rollers employed may be of spherical insteadof cylindric shape, and the bearingsurfaces, therefore, may be arrangedotherwise than in the manner shown.

One main feature ofthe valve shown may be used with advantage when otherfeatures illustrated in the drawings are absent, it being obvious thatunder some circumstances the reduction'in first cost of the engine orcheapness of fuel will warranttheomissionof some of the novel featuresherein shown, even at a loss of the advantages gained by the presence ofsuch features-as, for instance', 'a dierent construction in bothofthevalves is illustrated in Fig. 9, in which the valve-plate Ris withoutany passage R3, and the piston-valve K is pro- IOC IIO

videdat each end with vonly one annular bearing-surface Mwhich .operatesin connection 'each provided with two separate annular Working orbearing surfaces M3 M4, the bearing-surface M3, adjacent to the outerend of the valve, being constructed to operate in connection with theoutermost port m3, and the surface M4 acting in connection with the portmi, adjacent to the middle part of the valve. Live steam is admitted tothe valve through the central port m2 and gains access to the ports 'm4m4, which are nearest the middle of the valve, through the space betweenVthe reduced or smaller middle part of the valve K and the innerportions of the seat M. Passageis afforded for the steam to the outerports m3 m3 by means of passages m5 m5, formed in the wall of the valveK and leading from the step or shoulder at the inner ends of thesurfaces M4 M4 to annular openings or ports formed between the surfacesM3 and M4, the said surfaces M4 M4 in this construction being formed byor upon rings sustained from the body of the valve by radial ribs 'orflanges, as clearly seen in the drawings, Fig. 4, and as fully set forthin said prior patent. The width of the inner bearing-surfaces M4 M4 isso proportioned relatively to the distance between and width of theports m3 m4 that when the annular opening between said surfaces M3 M4coincides with the outer port m3 of the valve-seat the inner port 'mAXof said seat will be uncovered, as clearly shown at the right-hand sideof Fig. 2, it being entirely obvious that when the valve is in theposition illustrated in said iigure steam will have free access from thesteam-port m2 to the ports ms m4, which communicate with the main port mat the righthand side of the steam-chest. The exhauststeam in thisconstruction passes through the outer ports m3 m3 only, the inner portsm4 at one end of the valve, obviously, being closed when steam is beingadmitted to the ports at theopposite end of the valve, as clearly seenin said Fig. 2. To allow sufficient area for the passage of theexhaust-steam, the said ports m3 m3 are desirably made wider than theports 'm4 m4.

The interior space of the steam-chest D is in direct communication withor opens into the interior of the steam-chest E, so that theexhaust-steam from the end of the valve K nearest the steam-chest Descapes directly into the latter, while the exhaust-steam from theopposite or outer end of said valve K passes through the hollow interiorof the valve and is discharged into the said steam-chest. The particulararrangement described whereby the live steamin the port m2 surrounds thecentral part of the tubular piston-valve K is of advantage for thereason that such live steam retains the tubular valve at a hightemperature, and thus prevents or lessens condensation of theexhaust-steam in the passage of the latter from the outer end of thehigh-pressure cylinder to the valve of the' The piston-valve K,`

low-pressure cylinder. constructed as above described, affords a doubleadmission of steam to the high-'pressure cylinder, thereby enabling alarge area of passage for the influx of live steam to the cylinder to besecured by a short movement of the valve, whereby a high pressure. maybe quickly established Within the cylinder when the ports are opened.

The valves J and K are connected by means of the valve-stem, whichpasses through central part J of the valve J, as hereinbefore described,and through centrally-arranged hubs ofthe valve K. As a convenient meansof holding the valves at the desired distance apart, a tube or sleeve H2is placed around the valve-stem between the valves in the mannerillustrated. The operation of these said valves will be more easilyunderstood by reference to Figs. 2, 7, and 8. As illustrated in Fig. 2,the valve K is in position for the passage of live steam through thedouble ports m3 m4 to the main port m', leading to the inner end of thehigh-pressure cylinder, and for the exit of steam through the main portm at the outer end of the. high-pressure cylinder through the valve K tothe steam-chest D. At this time the valveK is at the extreme end of itsthrow to the right, and the valve .l is also at the eXtreme limit of itsthrow in the same direction and in position for the greatest admissionof steam to the inner end of the low-pressure cylinder through the portZ. At this time the cross-bar t7'2 ofthe valve .l stands outside of andfree from the valve-seat L' and the plate R, so that steam is free topass from the steam-chest around bot-h sides ofthe said bar J2 to thespace between the said valveplate R and the valve-seat L and intoV thesaid port Z, as hereinbefore described. At this time the intermediatecross-bar `7'4 nearest the crss-barj2 stands between the steamport Z andthe exhaust-port Z2, thus closing the space between said ports, whilethe eX- ternal cross-bar j at the opposite end of the valve standsbetween the port Z and the end of the valvesseat, thus closing the spacebetween the said valve-seat and the valve-plate R at this point.Exhaust-steam is at this time free to pass from the said port Z to theexhaustport Z2 throughv the space between Athevalve-seat andvalve-plate, the cross-bar js at this time being located opposite theexhaust-port and in position to allow thefree passage of steam aroundboth sides of the bar into said port. Fig. '7 shows both of the valvesat the limit of their movement opposite to that shown in Fig. 2, livesteam at this timepassing to the outer end of the highpressure cylinderthrough the port m, and the exhaust-steam passing from the inner end ofsaid cylinder through the port m to the valve-chest D, from which it ispassing through the port Zto the low-pressure cylinder, the vexhaustfrom the low-pressure cylinder passing through the port Z to the port Z2in the manner illustrated. Fig. S illustrates an intermediate positionof the parts when the valve is being shifted from the position shown inFig. 7 to IOO IIO

. with asingle annularsteam-port nr at each end of the steam-chest E.The construction shown 1u said Fig. 9 is a simple one, adapted for use1n cases where the cheapness of fuel or other y circumstances willenable good results to be obtained without the advantage in -steameconomy gained by 'the use of all of the features shown in the otherfigures of the drawings. In the fiat valve J (shown in said Fig. 9) theadvantages of a double admission of steam is obtained-that is to say, arelativelylarge opening for the passage of steam is afforded by a shortmovement of the valve; but these favorable results are obtained to agreater degree when the passage R3 in the valve-plate is employed, suchpassage obviously affording a triple instead of a double opening for theadmission steam without increasing the stroke of the valve.

The Hat, gridiron, or barred valve, combined with a valve-seat andimperforate valve-plate, as herein described, may obviously be used insingle-acting engines as well as when combined with a piston-valve in acompound engine, in the manner herein illustrated.

In compound engines of the character herein shown as heretofore commonlyconstructed the cylinders have been separated from each other by an openspace, the cylinders being provided with heads on their adjacent ends,containing two separate stuffingboxes, through which the piston-rodpasses. The construction herein illustrated, in which the two cylindersarranged end to end are separated by a single diaphragm or wall only,has the important advantage of enabling the stuffing boxes to bedispensed with, it only being necessary to iit the pistonrod withreasonable closeness in the hole through'which it passes, inasmuch asany steam which leaks past the piston-rod will merely escape from onecylinder to the other. The construction illustrated, furthermore, hasthe advantage of bringing the two val ve-chests close to each other, sothat they are directly connected-and form in effect one steam-chest,while at the same time dispensing with the stufng-boxes heretofore usedon the adjacent ends of the steam-chests for the purpose of makingsteam-tight-j oints with the valve-stem. The connection of thesteam-chests directly with each other in the manner described has theadvantage of affording a direct passage of steam from one valve to theother, so that no steam is wasted bycondensation orotherwise, as occurswhen the two steam-chests are separated and are connected by pipes orpassages, as heretofore common.

It will be understood that this invention relates to improvements incompound engines only, the valve construction shown and described asapplied to the low-pressure cylinder forming the subject of a separateapplication for patent, Serial No. 364,046, filed September 5, 1890.

I claim as my invention--a l. The combination, with the high and lowpressure cylinders of a compound engine, of a steam-chest for thehigh-pressure cylinder having a cylindric valve-seat providedwithannular. steam-ports communicatingwith opposite ends of thehigh-pressure cylindergand with a central steam-supply port, a steamsupply pipe communicating with said steamsupply port, a steam-chest forthe low-pressure cylinder, opening into the steam-chest of thehigh-pressure cylinder and having a flat-valve seat provided withsteam-ports leading to the opposite ends of the low-pressure cylinderand with a central exhaust-port, a valve-plate located in saidsteam-chest opposite the said valve-seat, a hollow piston-valve locatedin the steam-chest of the high-pressure cylinder and a flat valveprovided with transverse parallel bars working in connection with thevalve-seat and valve-plate belonging to the steam-chest of thelow-pressure cylinder, and a rigid connection uniting said hollowpiston-valve with the flat valve, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the high and low pressure cylinders of acompound engine, of a steam-chest having a cylindric valve-seat providedat each end with two annular steamports communicating with opposite endsof the high-pressure cylinder and with a central annular steamsupplyport, a steamsupply pipe communicating with said steam-supply port, ahollow piston-valve located in .said valve-seat and provided at each endwith two annular bearingsurfaces having between them an annular steampassage or port cornmunicating with the central steam-supply port= asecond steam-chest having a flat-valve seat provided with steam-portsleading to opposite ends of the low-pressure cylinder and with a centralexhaust-port, a valve-plate arranged opposite and parallel with saidvalveseat, and a fiat valve located between said valve-seat andvalve-plate, and provided with four transverse parallel bars, saidvalves being rigidly connected with each other, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination, with the high and low pressure cylinders of acompound engine, of a steam-chest having a cylindric valve-seat providedat each end with two annular steamports communicating with opposite endsof the high-pressure cylinder and with a central annular steam-supplyport, a steam-supply pipe communicating with said steam-supply port, ahollow piston-valve located in said valve-seat and provided at each endwith two annular bearin g-surf aces having between them an annular steampassage or port communicating with the central steamsupply port, asecond steam-chest having a flat-valve seat provided with steam-portsleading to opposite ends of the low-pressure cylinder and with a centralexhaust-port, a valve-plate arranged opposite and parallel with saidvalveseat, and a flat valve located between said valve-seat andvalve-plate and provided with IOO IIS

f G y441,3@34

four transverse parallel bars, said valves be- I ing rigidly connectedwith each other, and said valve-plate being provided with a. passageleading from end to end thereof and opening at the inner face of thevalve-plate ITtnesses: near the ends thereof, substantially as de- C.CLARENCE POOLE, scribed.

GEORGE W. HIGGINS, Jr.

In testimony that I Claim the foregoing as my invention I affix mysignature 1n presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT L. IDE.

